Valiant Comeback Attempt Comes Up Short at No. 10 South Dakota

Saturday, October 14

Vermillion, SD

2 p.m.

Youngstown State University

3-3 , 1-2

South Dakota

5-1 , 3-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Youngstown State	3	0	14	14	31
South Dakota	3	14	14	3	34

Photo by: Dave Dermer

Valiant Comeback Attempt Comes Up Short at No. 10 South Dakota

10/14/2023 5:39:00 PM | Football

Box Score YSU at USD Final Stats Photo Gallery

Vermillion, S.D. – The No. 20 Youngstown State football team dropped a heart breaking 34-31 decision to 10th-ranked South Dakota on Saturday afternoon at the DakotaDome.

The Coyotes improve to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the MVFC with the win while the Guins fall to 3-3 and 1-2.

YSU trailed 31-10 in the second half before scoring three unanswered touchdowns to tie the contest. However, on the final play of the game, USD PK Will Leyland kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to pull out the win for the Coyotes.

Down 31-10 with 7:10 left in the third quarter the Penguins found life when Mitch Davidson connected with Max Tomczak on a 66-yard touchdown pass. That touchdown toss came two plays after Davidson found Joey Farthing on a 65-yard scoring toss which gave the Guins their first touchdown of the game.

With 12:42 left in the fourth quarter, Dra Rushton powered in from a yard out to get the Guins within 31-24. On their next possession, Davidson's six-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Oliver tied the game with 5:48 left.

YSU held the Coyotes, however the Guins couldn't move for the final score or run out the clock to send the game to overtime giving USD the ball back with 19 seconds left. Following a defensive pass interference penalty and a 22-yard pass play, USD had one final play with three seconds left. Leyland came on and kicked the game winner as the clock expired.

The team's exchanged field goals in the first quarter in a back-and-forth grinder. USD took a 3-0 lead on a 41-yard field goal by Will Leyland. Later in the first quarter the Penguins tied the contest 3-3 on a 33-yard field goal by Andrew Lastovka.

The second quarter was all South Dakota as the found the end zone on two explosive plays. The first was a 34-yard run by Keyondre Jones at the 12:03 mark of the period. Late in the quarter, Aidan Bouman capped off a 10-play, 87-yard drive with a 36-yard scoring toss to Carter Bell with just 1:34 remaining.

Rushton finished with a career-best 111 yards rushing on 16 carries while Davidson passed for 267 yards and three scores. Bouman completed 24-of-29 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns.

Next Saturday the Penguins return home to play host to Illinois State at Stambaugh Stadium. Kickoff against the Redbirds for the annual Homecoming contest is set for 2 p.m.